How to Make Very Small Hay or Straw Bales

Miniature hay or straw bales add a festive look to Halloween and Thanksgiving craft displays. You cut, dry and bale straw and hay during the growing season; this makes it easy to store and use for feed over the long winter months. The straw and hay bale symbolizes hard work and the harvest time of the year. Stack up a few of these very small straw or hay bales as part of a dinner table centerpiece or as a festive entryway display.

Things You'll Need

1 pound of dried grass clippings

Plastic bag

6-inch-long, 4-inch-wide, 3-inch-tall foam block

100-grit sandpaper

Craft-friendly adhesive spray

2 black strings, 20 inches long

Spread 1 lb. of grass clippings out over a cement sidewalk or driveway. Allow the clippings to dry out and bleach in the sun. Gather the clippings up into a plastic bag. Break up the grass clippings by rolling the bag back and forth between your hands.

Sand the corners and edges of the foam block with 100-grit sandpaper. Don't overdo it. Just sand it enough to take the edges and corners off.

Spray the block of foam with a craft spray adhesive.

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Drop the block into the bag of grass and shake it around until you have covered the entire block with the grass. Pull the block out and add grass to any bare spots. Allow the block to dry for 24 hours.

Spray the block again and cover it with a second layer of grass clippings. Allow it 24 hours to dry.

Tie two black strings around the length of the block 1 inch apart. These will give the bale the finishing touch.

Tips & Warnings

The bales can be made bigger or smaller by cutting out different size blocks of foam. Use a serrated bread knife to cut the foam.